High duck numbers should make good waterfowl hunting this fall
PRATT — Kansas duck hunters don't have long to wait before seasons open, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has predicted high numbers of migrating birds. Find the water, and hunters should be able to find ducks, especially at one of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) waterfowl management areas.

Duck season dates and zones include the following:

• Youth Early Zone — Oct. 2-3;
• Youth High Plains Zone — Oct. 2-3;
• Youth Late Zone — Oct. 23-24;
• High Plains Zone — Oct. 9-Jan. 3, 2011, and Jan. 22-30, 2011;
• Early Zone — Oct.9-Dec.5, and Dec. 18-Jan. 2, 2011; and
• Late Zone — Oct. 30-Jan. 2, 2011, and Jan. 22-30, 2011.

During youth seasons, hunters 15 and younger may take ducks, geese, coots, and mergansers while hunting under the supervision of an adult 18 years or older. The adult may not hunt.

In both youth and regular seasons, six ducks is the daily bag limit, which may include no more than one cansvasback, two redheads, two pintails, two scaup, three wood ducks, and five mallards (only two of which may be hens). The daily bag may comprise six of any other duck, such as six teal, six gadwall, or six wigeon.

Depending on rainfall, good hunting should be found in many areas of the state, both public and private. For weekly updates on public waterfowl management areas, visit the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us, and click “Hunting/Migratory Birds/ Waterfowl Reports."

For a detailed map of the duck zone boundaries and other regulations, pick up a copy of the 2010 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary, available at all Kansas Wildlife and Parks offices and most license vendors, or download the booklet from the KDWP website.
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